LED Lamps – Is it worth it?

LED lamps are considered one of the most important and best inventions in the last 20 years.   They have been widely available for 10 years in consumer bulbs.  LLG discusses whether LED is living up to the initial high expectations.

What is LED?

LED stands for light emitting diode. LED lighting products produce light up to 90% more efficiently than incandescent light bulbs. How do they work? An electrical current passes through a microchip, which illuminates the tiny light sources we call LEDs and the result is visible light. To prevent performance issues, the heat LEDs produce is absorbed into a heat sink.

More information on LED and its benefits can be found on our webpage.

Do LED lamps it save money?

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, LEDs use at least 75% less power than incandescent bulbs and last up to 25 times longer.   LED lamps are utilizing less energy so there is a cost savings in your electric bill.  Now that LED lamps have come down in price significantly, they are also reasonable in cost.

Do LED lamps last as long at they are supposed to?

Not always –  a lot of LED lamps on the market do not last as long as they claim too.  The first issue is that the claims are made based on  lab settings and unfortunately the real world variables are different compared to the lab effecting the claims in a negative way.

The second issue is the LEDs use heat sinks to absorb the heat produced by the LED and dissipate it into the surrounding environment. This keeps LEDs from overheating and burning out.  A high quality made LED lamp has good management of heat and that is the most important factor in the successful performance of an LED over its lifetime. The higher the temperature at which the LEDs are operated, the more quickly the light will degrade, and the shorter the useful life will be.

Should you switch over to LED lamps?

YES!! Despite the lamps not always meeting the length of life they claim to, they still last significantly longer than an incandescent lamp.  Plus there is savings in the amount of energy you are using.

It is important to purchase a high quality LED lamp.  Look for LED lamps that have earned the ENERGY STAR.  The ENERGY STAR label have been independently certified and undergone extensive testing to assure that they will save energy and perform as promised. You can find a purchasing checklist guide here for energy star lamps.

This blog post was inspired by a recent article in the Wall Street Journal.  For more information and details, visit https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-led-bulbs-dont-always-live-up-to-the-hype-about-their-life-spans-11633080602